The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-12
That was the plan.

Pillow said he expected to roll the enemy
Netherlands division) in full retreat over
upon Gen. Buckner, when, by attack in
flank and rear, they could cut up the enemy
and put him completely to rout"
Pillows attack was sudden and furious.
Reveille was just sounding in Netherlands
camp, and the troops were not under arms
when the onset was made. There was con
fusion, there was danger that the whole right
wing Of the Federal army would be routed.
In few minutes though, in scarcely more
time than it takes to write it, Netherlands
men, gun in hand, had their faces toward the
foe.
The account Of the fierce onset and shock,
and its reception by the Federal soldiers,
read like some of Caesars battles with the
Gauls Gen. Oglesby, of Illinois, who com
mandcd brigade on the right, received the
first tremendous attack. His men returned
fire till their ammunition gave out. They
snatched up the cartridge boxes from the dead
and dying and poured their contents into the
foe TIL that too gave out Then Col. w. II.
l.. Walace's brigade went to the rescue
That at length quailed before the "trebly
laundering" attack A lamented statesman,
who has lately passed to the realm of the I'M
He was then colonel of the Thirty first lii
nOis and his name was John A. Logan He
was here and there and everywhere in that
battle, showering electric words upon his
men, his dark face lit with excitement his
eve shining like an eagles, BY the magnet
ism of his personal influence he prevented
panic and a rout early in the day.
McClernand's division, with Taylor,
Dressers and McAllister's batteries of light
artillery, met the Confederate onset bravely
and well To the right Of Oglesby still was
Gem Macarthur, nearest the river He had
been ordered there the night before, with
troops who had had no food all day. They
passed the night III the snow and sleet, with
out fires or shelter. Gen. Macarthur had had
no time to become acquainted with the nature
of the ground He only knew that he faced
Fort Doneson. The Confederate design wa.
To make dash and get cavalry in his rear,
and then with cavalry to rear of him, infantry
before, he would be powerless.
Soldiers do not always find il easy to fight
on a full stomach, but McArthur's men had
tasted thirty six hours. In this state of hun
ger they were when they heard at o'clock in
the morning the firing on Oglesby on their
left As soon as it was heard, without wait
ing for orders, Macarthur formed his empty
stomached men i'll line Of battle They took
a lively hand in the fight. But presently n
worse trouble than empty stomachs con-
fronted them, and that was empty cartridge
boxes. Before that obstacle they were indeed
powerless, and SO the brigade fell back some
hundreds of yar!s 20 the rear and took up Il
new position. 1t is sufficient TO say Of them
that toward night they got one square meal
and then moved over to the left of the Fedora,
forces to support the troops fighting there.
The morning progressed. 1t began to look
indeed rs il Pillow was going to carry out his
threat to roll the enemy over NcArthurs
brigade hal crumbied away. So had
Oylesby's McClernands division was in the
grav,'st danger In the center, Lew Wallace,
with the Third division, was lying inactive.
Hi, orders were 10 oct on the defensive and
watch the Confederates to prevent their es-
Gaping his way.
Pillows division, in deploying, spread wider
and wider, and more and more toward Lew
Wallace. Netherlands division began 10
waver. Three Confederate batteries, Maney's,
Portcr's and Graves, poured steady fire into
Il. Buckner was advancing, too, with his